Discovery Channel

We’ll have to wait until November for the premiere of “Weed Wars,” the Discovery Channel reality series about Oakland’s Harborside Health Center, the largest medical marijuana dispensary in the country. But critics at the summer press tour in Beverly Hills got a brief sneak peek of the show and met a few of the Harborside regulars who will appear in it.

Steve DeAngleo, founder and executive director of Harborside, said he had been approached by several filmmakers interested in the subject before deciding to go with LA-based Braverman Productions, which is producing the show for Discovery.

“Our number one concern was making sure that we would just be portrayed as we really are because we are confident that if we are portrayed as who we are and what we do in our everyday lives, that the American people are going to come to support our cause,” DeAngelo said. “We chose (them) because they showed us that they were going to actually do that, that. We were never asked to do setups or argue with each other or just, you know, do anything other than be who we are. … We are very grateful for this opportunity to bring our message to the American people.”

Steve’s brother, Andrew, also part of the Harborside management team, said viewers will learn about the inner workings of the facility, but will also meet the people behind it.

“It’s character driven,” he said. “Obviously, the cannabis is sort of the glue that holds all of the characters together. But you are going to meet dozens of patients in the program. You are going to meet all of our families: our wives, our girlfriends, kids, grandkids. You know, it’s a family story.”

The Discovery Channel announced today that it will produce a reality series about Oakland’s Harborside Health Center, the nation’s largest medical cannabis dispensary.

“Weed Wars,” scheduled to premiere this fall, “fearlessly pulls back the curtain on a once illegal and still controversial world,” according to a press release issued by Discovery.

In 2004, Oakland became the first city to license medical cannabis outlets. The Harborside Health Center, founded by Steve DeAngelo, serves over 80,000 patients. It recently extended its reach with a second location in San Jose.

In addition to DeAngelo and his staff, “Weed Wars” will follow the journey of the plant itself — from seed germination to harvesting, profiling growers and farmers along the way. “(The show) is a fascinating glimpse into this highly unique setting,” said Nancy Daniels, executive vice president of production and development for Discovery Channel.